Rewinding of steel strip after slitting thereof is a high speed, relatively dangerous operation, complicated by the requirement that cardboard filler strips be inserted between convolutions of the coil of steel strip incident to the rewinding process. Both the quantity and spacing of the cardboard filler strips are visually determined by a machine operator who manually inserts the filler strips between convolutions as the band of steel are wound on the takeup drum. In the absence of a guard, the slightest error in filler strip insertion can result in the operator's hand being drawn between the rapidly advancing band of steel and the revolving coil.